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Hummus and Garden Veggies

August 2, 2014 by theblogbloom.com 1 Comment

It’s August.

I love August.

I know the Christmas freaks will fight me on this one, but I really think that August is the most wonderful time of the year.

And, it’s not just because it’s my Birth Month.

Although, I do think that it only makes sense that I am born in a month that makes my spirit so happy.

As a kid, I loved the excitement of getting back to school, starting practice for fall sports and living up every warm summer night with friends.

Now as an adult, I still enjoy the warm evenings but all the super fresh and beautiful produce that is available in August makes me so so so happy.

August means sweet corn.

August means tomatoes.

August means the garden is booming.

August means I am one happy lady.

Right now, I would say about 80% of the garden is ready for consumption. Beets, peas, green beans, zucchini, lettuces and much more can be picked and brought straight into the kitchen.

… If they even make it there.

Adam has confessed to chowing down on peas by the handful straight off the vine.

I can’t blame him. They make a great snack. I love to just munch on them raw, but just like our green peppers, cucumbers, or carrots, they are also great as the vehicle for hummus.

I can make this hummus at home because it’s not only easy, but I can make it for much cheaper than I could buy it at the store. It also has half the calories and fat versus store bought hummus because I leave out the unnecessary (and hard to find in a small town…) tahini. The flavor and textures are still there making this a common condiment in our fridge.

Hummus

2014-08-02 14:50:20

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Ingredients

1 14.5oz can of chickpeas, drained but reserve the liquid
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons cumin
1\2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Pour reserved chickpea liquid through top of the food processor until desired consultancy is reached.

Bloom. https://www.theblogbloom.com/

Growing Lettuce and Caesar Salad Dressing

July 13, 2014 by theblogbloom.com 7 Comments

The lettuce in our garden has done so well this summer.

We have not had the deer invasion like last summer.

And, the weather has really been working in our favor. There has been plenty of rain, but not too much rain. It hasn’t been super, super hot like it sometimes can be in mid July. And, it looks like the cooler temperatures are going to continue into next week with a summertime “Polar Vortex.”

So weird.

But, if it gives me more lettuce and temperatures don’t dip below seventy degrees, I’ll take it!

Growing lettuce is really easy and really rewarding. Adam and I started a few lettuce heads from seeds in the basement and transplanted them into the ground after the threat of frost. Then, we planted more seeds straight into the ground.

Lettuce grows quickly and what is so great about it is that, if you cut lettuce heads the right way, it regenerates and grows back.

Cut or slice with a clean knife and pair of shears at the crown of the lettuce head.

In a few days it will begin growing again like this one.

I have been enjoying salads everyday for lunch this summer thanks to the great and superabundant lettuce. It is awesome to eat the lettuce I cut just minutes before, knowing how it was grown and cared for.

Of the foods that I care how they were grown, packaged and stored, lettuce may top the list. It is often recalled for things like E. Coli and listeria and sprayed in order for the leaves to stay fresh until they hit the grocery store shelves.

Yuck.

Another food product I tend to avoid is salad dressing. There are dyes, artificial flavors (… why make fake flavors when there are so many good ones naturally?!), and tons of unnecessary sugar.

Because of this I typically just top my salads with red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar. But, to be totally real, that can get old… fast.

There are many times that I long for the creaminess in Ranch or Caesar.

So, thanks to our big green heads of romaine, I made Chicken Caesar Salad with our backyard chicken from last fall, our lettuce and this great homemade Caesar Salad Dressing.

Adam claims this is the best salad dressing he as ever had. He loves the salty, savory flavor it gets from the anchovies… But, if anchovies freak you out you don’t have to put them in.

Caesar Salad Dressing

2014-07-13 16:23:55

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Ingredients

2 ounces shaved Parmesan
1 large garlic clove
1/4 cup of mayo
Juice from one lemon
2 Tbs of water
3 Tbs Olive Oil
1 Tbs of Dijon Mustard
2 tsp of anchovy paste or two anchovy fillets thinly sliced
1 Tbs of Worcestershire
Generous pinch of black pepper

Instructions

Put parmesan and garlic into a food processor. Process until combined.
Add ingredients in a food processor. Process until creamy and smooth.
Place in a container and put in the refrigerator for at least one hour in order for the flavors to combine.

Bloom. https://www.theblogbloom.com/

Roasted Radishes

July 7, 2014 by theblogbloom.com 6 Comments

If you are thinking about getting your kids involved with gardening 1. Good for you!

Adam and I have talked about how we want our kids to have their own garden bed each summer where they can choose what they plant, learn a little responsibility in tending to the bed and reap the benefits of their harvest. I think it’s awesome for kids to learn how food grows.

And, 2. You should seriously consider planting radishes.

Radishes grow very quickly in comparison to other plants, which will help encourage and hold the attention of a young person. This year it took about four weeks from planting a seed to enjoying a little crunch on my salad.

Radishes just about two weeks after planting.

Radishes come in all shapes and sizes. Word to the wise: as they get bigger, they get spicier. So keep an eye on them. They also come in various beautiful shades of pinks and reds.

They are most prevalent from April to July.

What I like about radishes is that there are so many things you can do with them. Like I said, they are great in a salad. I love to just pop them with some veggie dip or hummus. We have done shaved radishes on a pizza. You could also add them to a sandwich. Pickle them so that you could eat them all year long.

The other night I decided to roast our plentiful radishes.

Roasting radishes that have maybe gotten too big is great because it cooks the spiciness out of them and makes them much easier to eat.

This recipe is my go to when roasting almost any vegetable. It is easy, light and made with ingredients that are always in my pantry. (Or, any typical pantry for that matter.)

It is proof that you don’t need to complicate things to make them good.

Roasted Radishes

2014-07-07 19:54:05

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Ingredients

1 bunch Radished, quartered
1 Shallot, thinly sliced
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Juice of one Lemon
Salt and Pepper

Instructions

Preheat Oven to 375
Toss all ingredients in a medium bowl, spread onto a baking sheet
Cook until tender about 20-25 minutes.
Eat right away.

Bloom. https://www.theblogbloom.com/

Cooking Like the Beekman Boys.

July 1, 2014 by theblogbloom.com 8 Comments

After the first of the year, I was talking with a co-worker about cheese.

Embarrassingly, too common of a conversation for me.

She told me about this great wheel of cheese that her family had over the holidays. She said it was a combo of goat milk and cow milk. She also said the cheese looked totally crazy because it had a black rind made from ashes.

Incredibly interested, I asked, “So, what’s it called?”

“Beekman 1802 Blaak,” she said.

“Beekman, what?” I asked.

“Beekman 1802. It’s made by the Beekman Boys,” she said.

Reading the confused look on my face, she went on, “Oh my gosh, Claire. You don’t know the Beekman Boys? They are right up your alley with your big garden and food blog. You would love them!”

She told me that the Beekman Boys were partners from New York City who purchased a huge old home in upstate New York. They fell in love with living the country so they began raising goats and planted a large garden.

Now they have an online mercantile where you can purchase all sorts of kitchenware, garden tools, soaps made with goats milk and foods like the Blaak cheese.

I was intrigued. It did sound like I would love them.

She told me that they also had a book, The Bucolic Plague: How Two Manhattanites Became Gentlemen Farmers: An Unconventional Memoir (P.S.),that tells the story of how they found their way from the city to the country. It also goes into detail about the first year of trying to get their goat milk soap business off the ground.

Adam and I were headed to Jamaica a few weeks later and I was in need of a good beach read. So, I hopped onto to Amazon and purchased The Bucolic Plague. It was a perfect, laugh out loud, easy read for the beach.

And, like my co-worker thought I would, I did fall in love with The Beekman Boys, Brent and Josh.

Since reading their memoir, I added their page to my likes on Facebook. I love staying up to date with new products that are constantly added to the online mercantile and any specials that they might be running. They also post beautiful, personal pictures of the house, their garden, and the goats.

It was on their Facebook page that I learned Williams-Sonoma was promoting their newest cookbook, The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Vegetable Cookbook: 100 Delicious Heritage Recipes from the Farm and Garden, with a cooking class in mid June. Williams-Sonoma often has cooking classes where they showcase a new cookbook or teach basic kitchen skills, such as knife skills.

I have always wanted to take one of the classes at Williams-Sonoma so I thought what would be better then this class featuring my new gardening idols.

Plus, their cookbook looked amazing and it came with the class.

Turns out I was the only person in Indianapolis who signed up for the class so I got a call from, Dottie, the instructor the day before the class. She said she would do a more hands on class versus a demo class, like it was originally supposed to be.

Obviously, I didn’t mind. In fact, I was even more excited.

I showed up the next evening ready to cook and wound up having a great time. Dottie was a wonderful lady and was full of so much knowledge about food and cooking. I loved hearing her stories of traveling in Europe and we made the connection that we were both Purdue sorority girls.

That night we made Kale Bruschetta, a Beet and Ricotta Salad, Eggplant “Meat” Balls, and a cucumber ice cream in a carrot cookie cup. All were recipes from The Beekman Boy’s new cookbook.

The cookbook has fabulous photos of the Beekman home and garden throughout the seasons that are in line with the seasonal layout of the book. Majority of the recipes are vegetarian as they are designed to utilize produce that is available throughout the year in a garden like the one at their upstate home.

We didn’t plant eggplant and our cucumbers, carrots and beets are not ready yet. But, our kale looks great.

I like have kale in the garden because it is incredibly healthy and tasty. It is a great addition to salads and smoothies. I also like to make kale chips.

Growing kale is very simple. I started a few heads of kale in the basement and transplanted the seedlings to the ground this spring. I also started a few seeds right in the ground to have more kale ready to eat at a different time than the seeds I started indoors. We plan to have more kale this fall as it is a hardy vegetable that can tolerate cooler temperatures. In fact, their leaves are even sweeter when exposed to colder temps.

With our backyard garden kale looking awesome, I decided to share a bit of my fun night at Williams-Sonoma with Adam and recreated the Kale Bruchetta at home.

I loved everything we made during the cooking class, but this bruchetta was definitely my favorite. I knew that Adam would love the salty, creamy kale topping too.

I cannot wait to try other recipes from the Heirloom Vegetable Cookbook. I have a feeling it will be a great resource for me for many, many years! Be sure to check it out!

Kale Bruschetta

2014-07-01 17:26:22

Yields 8

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Ingredients

2 Tbs. Olive Oil
1 garlic clove
2 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
6 ounces kale, stems and ribs removed
pinch of salt
1/2 cup of water
2 Tbs. mayo
2 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions

Heat Olive Oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.
Add garlic and anchovies. Cook stirring frequently until anchovies have melted, about two minutes
Add kale, salt, and water. Cook until kale is tender and water has evaporated, stirring frequently.
Remove kale from skillet and place on cutting board. When cool, finely chop.
In a medium bowl combine the mayo, Parmesan, and lemon juice. Add the kale and stir to combine.
Top eight pieces of toasted baguette or Bread crisps.

Notes

Making bruschetta isn't hard. All you need is some oil and a baguette.
However, there are lots of short cuts out there. Whole foods makes little bruschetta crisps and packages them. You can find them in their baked goods section. I used some bread crisps made by Stacy's.
No one around here judges for making your life easier!

Adapted from The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Vegetable Cookbook

Bloom. https://www.theblogbloom.com/

Something Old and Something New.

June 25, 2014 by theblogbloom.com 1 Comment

In early May, I wrote about the lessons I have learned from my mother in the kitchen to celebrate Mother’s Day.

But, growing up, it wasn’t just my mom who ruled the kitchen. She is a talented cook and has many skills to create amazing meals, but so does my dad.

He is a pro behind the grill and loves working with the different smoky flavors that can be found in wood chips.

He also taught me the invaluable skills needed for the creation of the “Clean Out the Fridge” or, as Adam and I like to call them, the “Garbage Salad” which has become a weekly favorite around our home.

These days, my dad has become a bit of a Paleo aficionado and enjoys creating sides with any of the garden produce I pawn off on him.

But, his specialty for years has been breakfast.

My dad has always been an early riser, claiming he did his best thinking before any one else was up.

In high school, I would be still half asleep as I headed out the door to get to school. (Which started at 7:25… AM!) If dad was out of town, I was lucky if a Special K bar and Diet Coke was my breakfast.

But, if Dad was home it was a great day.

He would emerge from his office, pass along some brown sugar topped oatmeal that he was keeping warm on the stove and tell me that he had started my car and turned on the seat warmers.

In Ohio, in January, I could have struggled through an Algebra test, fought with my boyfriend and have my mom kick me off AIM but still have a good day because of a morning like this.

Dad and I before a High School Dance in 2003.

He would also get up early on weekends in order to get breakfast going for the family.

On Sunday’s, it was pretty typical to wake up to the smells of crispy bacon and fresh made pancakes and waffles. However, it was also fun to get up to lend a hand because, with two other siblings, it was great to have alone time with Dad… and he might have also made hot chocolate.

The pancake and waffle batter recipe came from my mom’s dad who passed it onto my Dad years upon years ago. In the year of our engagement, Adam received the recipe and his very own waffle maker.

Adam loves making weekend brunch at home and with all the eggs from the hens, it’s really easy. The pancakes and waffles have now become a common brunch creation on the Sunday’s we are home and able to relax.

And, I already have visions of coming into the kitchen on a Sunday morning to maybe find a mess thanks to runny batter and large amounts of flour, but also seeing Adam creating memories with our future children with the same recipe that bonded my dad and I.

So, why didn’t I write about all of this ten days ago for Father’s Day?

Adam and I were at a wedding over Father’s Day weekend. The wedding was in Tennessee in a small town near Memphis. Adam was a groomsman so we were gone and were pretty occupied all weekend long.

Although it is a bit of a commitment, I really enjoy when one of us is involved in the wedding we attend… mainly because we get to go to the rehearsal dinner. I absolutely love rehearsal dinners. There is something so sweet and intimate about this meal the night before the big day. I also like to get to know the family members of the bride and groom.

My good looking wedding date.

This rehearsal dinner was hosted by the grooms parents at an old, old farm house that has been in the brides family since before the Civil War. The MOG had arranged for a local catering company to prepare the meal. She told me that they had only spoken on the phone twice about the meal because she was from northern Indiana.

What probably felt like a huge gamble to her couldn’t have turned out better. The meal was excellent and perfect for a southern, summer night at the farm.

While walking through the buffet line, the chef encouraged me to get a roll with the strawberry butter. I already had fried chicken and potatoes on my plate and typically would have passed on the roll. But, word to the wise, when a chef recommends something… eat it.

You’ll like it.

And, like it I did.

I had never had strawberry butter, but it was a perfectly sweet accompanist to the warm roll. Adam and I both gushed at the table about how wonderful it was so I went back up to the buffet line to get the recipe.

With the ever plentiful strawberries from our backyard, the sweet butter was easy to recreate at home.

And, I thought what better way to pay tribute to my dad the week of Father’s Day than pairing the rosy butter with pancakes and waffles.

Strawberry Butter

2014-06-25 06:47:51

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Ingredients

1/2 Cup Strawberries, room temperature, hulled and diced
8 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, room temperature
2 Tablespoons Powdered Sugar

Instructions

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and beat using a hand mixer or stand mixer until combined.
Serve immediately and/or cover and refrigerate.

Notes

Waffle and Pancake mix recipe may come some other day 🙂

Bloom. https://www.theblogbloom.com/

Arugula Flat Bread Pizza

June 20, 2014 by theblogbloom.com 2 Comments

I get asked what my favorite food is often.

Odd? Maybe.

But, I work in the food industry. There it’s a pretty normal question.

It’s an ice breaker.

Part of an introduction.

An interview question.

Or, just dropped in conversation.

Two issues with this:

1. Because of the industry, I sometimes feel pressure to have some super hip, trendy and edgy answer.

Like Kim Chi or Kombucha.

I feel like the chefs I work with might be judging me and my, presumed, undeveloped palate.

And two?

I can’t pick just one.

A better question would be what my least favorite food is.

Maybe…

But, now that I think about it, that one is tough too.

I love a lot of things.

Cheese.

Wine.

August Tomatoes.

Fresh Basil.

A good steak.

Well prepared fish.

Sushi.

Ice Cream.

Fresh baked bread.

Vibrant salads.

Over easy eggs.

Chocolate.

Guacamole.

Buffalo Wings with lots of blue cheese.

Hummus.

Crunchy Cucumbers.

Old fashioned cheese burger.

Super fresh fruit.

Okay. Okay. I like a lot of food. I promise, I will only list one more.

But, I could go on and on.

But, I get it, that probably would be annoying.

And, it could potentially have you running to the fridge for a snack because I have made you hungry.

This would be bad, because you’re going to want to stick around for this one.

… In fact, it might be one of your favorites too.

Flat bread pizza.

Flat bread pizza might be the front runner for my favorite food because there are so many ways you can make it and it is a great combination of many of my listed favorites.

I am a big fan of the traditional margherita. With good old fashioned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and basil. We also like to sub fresh made pesto for the sauce and top with Parmesan and sliced tomatoes from the garden.

The garden tomatoes aren’t ready yet, but the arugula is and it also happens to be an excellent topping for flat breads.

Arugula is a baby green that is planted right into the ground that has a spicy flavor that I think is similar to horseradish. They don’t take too long from seed to ready to eat. Maybe four weeks or so.

This flat bread gets great flavor from the saltiness in the Parmesan and prosciutto balanced with the bite from the arugula and lemon’s tartness. Perfect for a light summer dinner.

Arugula Flat Bread Pizza

2014-06-20 07:56:32

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Crust

1 Tablespoon of Yeast
1 3/4 cups of warm water
4 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp of salt
Olive Oil

Toppings

Parmesan cheese
Prosciutto
Arugula
Lemon
Salt and Pepper

Instructions

Dissolve yeast in warm water.
Once dissolved and foamy, add all ingredients to mixer with dough hook. Kneed on medium until dough is combined and pulls from the sides of the bowl.
Let rise in bowl covered with a damp towel for at least 30 minutes.
Set oven to 425.
Oil pan and dough, roll onto pan until desired thickness. For thin crust I sometime divide the dough to make two pizza's.

For Toppings

Add more oil to pizza.
Top with shredded Parmesan. I use my veggie peeler on a block of cheese.
Add torn pieces of prosciutto.
Cook about ten minutes, or until crust is golden and cheese has melted.
Toss arugula with juice of one lemon, salt and pepper and place on top of pizza after removed from the oven.
Serve right away.

Notes

Oil is the key to crispy crust!

Bloom. https://www.theblogbloom.com/

Strawberry Fields Forever

June 17, 2014 by theblogbloom.com 7 Comments

Last summer my little brother, Danny, got a guitar for his high school graduation.

He had never played, but has an amazing ear for music. He can can hear a song and start strumming around until he has the notes. Give him an afternoon and he will have the gist of the song without any sheet music.

He can rock out to all the college favorites like “Wonderwall” (… he adds, “The girls love it!” Duh. Tell me something I don’t know. I was one of those freshman girls *not too* long ago.) and “Wagon Wheel.”

He is also pretty good at Mumford and Sons.

But, some of his favorites to play are older bands like Bob Dylan and The Beatles.

This summer he is living with Adam and I and brought his guitar along. So, we get the benefit and enjoyment of our own personal guitarist while relaxing in the evening after work.

I have learned to love having Danny softly playing “Black Bird” or my favorite, “Here Comes the Sun” in the background while I am in the kitchen. Sure beats the arguments on Real Housewives…

There is something so much sweeter about these great songs when they are from a single acoustic guitar.

And, speaking of sweet… Have you seen the strawberries that are coming out of my garden?!

Oh. My. Gosh.

They are seriously amazing.

We planted a bed of strawberries last summer and knew we couldn’t expect much the first year. And I thought there was a chance the second year might be kind of light too.

I was wrong.

Strawberry Garden Bed

We have so many, huge, juicy strawberries.

So, while Danny was jammin’ out in the guitar, I got to jamming in the kitchen.

Literally.

Strawberry Jam is a great way to use a lot of strawberries and canning the jam allows us to enjoy our spectacular strawberries all year long.

Strawberry Jam

2014-06-17 19:50:48

Yields 7

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Prep Time

35 min

Cook Time

5 min

Prep Time

35 min

Cook Time

5 min

Ingredients

3 Quarts Fresh Strawberries, hulled
1 1 3/4 ounce package of regular powdered fruit pectin
1/2 teaspoon of butter
7 cups sugar

Instructions

Crush Berries in a medium pot, one cup at at time until you have 5 cups of crushed berries.
Stir in pectin and butter.
Heat on high stirring constantly until mixture comes to a boil.
Add sugar.
Return to boil and boil for one minute while constantly stirring.
Remove from heat and skim off foam.

To Process

Ladle into hot and sterilized half-pint jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space.
Wipe the jars rims and add lids.
Process in boiling water bath for five minutes. (Start time when water bath returns to boil.)
Remove jars and set on cooling rack until cool and jars have sealed.

Bloom. https://www.theblogbloom.com/

The Anatomy of a Cheese Board

June 15, 2014 by theblogbloom.com 9 Comments

We had such a great time at Vintage Indiana last weekend!

A few of my great friends in Indy joined Adam and I for the festival.

It was a lot of fun to see the wineries that we know well like Mallow Run and Oliver Winery.

But, we also got to learn about places we had never heard of. I really fell in love with Huber Winery. I loved their Chambourcin and Adam and I split a bottle of their champagne while we took a break listening to the live music and caught up with friends. We will have to visit soon.

In addition to wine at the Huber tent, they also were selling cheese and cracker plates.

There are so many nights, especially in the summer, that Adam and I make a meal out of a cheese and meat board. We are out in the yard doing work until sunset and by that point we arn’t in the mood for a full dinner.

A cheese board is nice, light and there are so many different ways to make it up. However, cheese boards also have a reputation for being intimidating.

But, in reality, they are simple and a great appetizer that doesn’t require a lot of work for a dinner party.

The basic anatomy of a cheese plate is:
The Cheese
The Vehicle
The Sweet
The Salt

The Cheese:
Stick to about 1-2 ounces of cheese per person and only three to five cheese options because otherwise it will become overwhelming. Be sure to offer a variation of soft and hard cheeses. Make sure that all cheeses come to room temperature before serving.

The Vehicle:
Sliced up French Baguette and/or various crackers works great. Place them in a bowl or plate next to the cheese plate so not to crowd the plate.

The Sweet:
Honey, jams, or fruit. Figs are great with cheese. And, I love the tart taste of a green apple with sharp cheeses or dunked in soft cheeses like brie. I added fresh garden strawberries to the pictured cheese board because their sweetness is a perfect combo with the saltiness in prosciutto and cheeses like Parmesan.

The Salt:
Prosciutto is a favorite of ours, but hard salami’s work great. We also often use Summer Sausage because Adam will have it made from venison thanks to his fall hunting adventures. If you prefer to go the meatless route, nuts like almonds or cashews are perfect.

Don’t be intimidated. Have fun. Make it your own!

Use local cheeses, if you can. We love Fair Oak’s cheeses. Or visit a cheese shop and get the cheese monger’s opinion. Ask for samples. Many times, they are happy to offer a taste to make sure the flavors are what you are looking for.

Your next cheese board will be great at your next party. Or even just on a relaxing evening at home like this one was for us!

What’s In the Garden: 2014

June 10, 2014 by theblogbloom.com Leave a Comment

One of my first blog posts last spring just listed what was in our 2013 garden. I looked back at that post often when planning this summer’s garden.

Another great tool when designing this year’s garden was Mother Earth News Vegetable Garden Planner. It is a minimal yearly charge (Neither Adam or I could remember… maybe ten bucks?), but it keeps track of where plants were each year and will really help us in crop rotation.

What our garden looks like on the garden planner.

It was super easy to use and kind of reminded me of playing The Sims. (Where are my late 90 kids at?!)

There are many different features that we still haven’t explored on the Garden Planner, but if it’s your first year gardening it may not be a bad thing for you to start too.

The garden planner was also a big help because this summer’s garden is three times the size as last year’s.

We have some weeding to do, but it has been super wet in Indiana.

Yes… Adam and I understand that we are boarder line insane.

Here is what we have growing:

Strawberries: We planted the strawberry plants last year but knew we wouldn’t have any berries to show for it. Strawberry plants need a season before they really begin to produce a lot of fruit. This year we have a ton of strawberries! They are amazing. They have a great flavor and size. There will be more posts this week about our many strawberries.

Strawberries

Asparagus: We planted the roots this spring. They have just begun to pop up. Asparagus takes about three seasons before it matures and is ready to harvest.

Garlic: We planted 100 blubs last fall and after the very cold winter, we only had about ten make it. They will be ready in late summer. I am excited because I feel like I use garlic all the time when cooking. And, let’s be real, garlic is so good.

Garlic

Brussels sprouts: This is something new we are trying. I love to cook Brussels sprouts. The plants are looking pretty good!

Brussels Sprouts

Zucchini: Super easy to grow and a staple for any summer garden. We have finished almost all of the zucchini I froze last summer so we will be ready for some replacements soon. Last year we grew yellow summer squash in addition to zucchini, but decided not to grow it this year.

Zucchini

Okra: These poor plants don’t look so great. It’s an experiment. I have not cooked with okra often either, so if they don’t work out we will survive.

Horseradish: Another plant that is an experiment. I am hoping it works out so we can make our own cocktail sauce!

Kale: A few heads were started from seedlings and they look good. A few more were planted right into the ground and are growing as well. I am excited to have kale for smoothies and salads.

Lettuce: We have many different kinds growing from mixes to Caesar heads, Mustard Greens Spinach and Arugula. Tonight we tried the arugula and mustard greens. Both were great. They both had a great little spicy kick. They will be awesome for adding dimensions to salads and sandwiches. It is seriously the best to have lettuce straight from the garden. Seriously.

Mustard Greens

Broccoli: These plants are still pretty small, but look okay. Broccoli from the backyard is typically smaller than what you see at the store. Broccoli is such a great veggie. I love to steam it and dress it with vinegar.

Broccoli a couple weeks ago

Cabbage: We had awful luck with cabbage last summer. They became infested with so many loopers and just were ruined. Here’s to better luck this year!

Cucumbers: I managed to kill the seedlings we had growing. They looked awful for weeks and I couldn’t understand what was going on and then Adam figured it out. I was using the tap water from the kitchen sink to water the seedlings. This sink is hooked up to the water softener so I was adding salt to the plants refreshments. The salt was building up in their stems preventing water and nutrients from getting to the plant. All the other plants were able to rebound after being put into the ground, but the cucumbers didn’t make it. I purchased starter plants from a woman who also sells turkeys, chickens and flowers out of her front yard on a nearby state road I drive on often for work.

Peas: These were one of my favorite last year. They are a great little snack and froze really well so we could add them to stir fry’s throughout the winter.

Green Beans: We planted a lot more than we did last year, but only about half of the beans look like they are doing well. Green Beans are planted directly into soil and it looks like the other half just never sprouted.

Green Beans

Peppers: We have green peppers and jalapenos. These are great for summer salads and salsas.

Beets: It’s our first time trying to grow beets and it’s hard to tell how they are doing because much of the activity goes on underground. Beets are great because they store well and I use them a lot.

Carrots: Another root vegetable that was planted right into the ground and hard to tell how they are doing so far. Carrots were probably my favorite thing from the garden last year. The taste difference between a fresh garden carrot and a bagged baby carrot is a world apart.

Spaghetti Squash: New to the garden this year! And, I can’t wait. Adam loves spaghetti squash. (Yes, Adam…!) We have cooked spaghetti squash many different ways, but it is just perfect with a little butter and S&P.

Spaghetti Squash

Radish: Another newbie and they are looking good.

Tomatoes: There are twenty two tomato plants gracing the garden this year with everything from cherry, beefsteak, grape, romas, etc, etc! I am really looking forward to canning. Adam’s Bloody Mary mix already has a waiting list.

Herbs in the Garden and in pots:

Basil… Duh. My fave.

Basil

Mint
Chives
Sage: New this year! I am excited! And, it looks great!
Thyme
Cilantro

Cilantro

Rosemary
Parsley

Parsley

Oregano
Dill

Bonus! A little Fun Fact: I recently read that one in three America household’s are growing food. Amazing, right?! Love stats like that!

What do you have growing this year?

Gardener’s Know The Best Dirt

June 5, 2014 by theblogbloom.com 8 Comments

Here’s a little piece of hot gossip:

Most of us have less than perfect soil in our gardens.

And let’s be real, soil is kind of on the D-List when it comes to stars of the garden.

But, it’s strong soil that is the foundation that leads to those A-List August Tomatoes.

Good garden soil is made up of:

Minerals
Organic Matter
Life

The darker the better.

Many different combinations of these three things contribute to the soil’s texture, structure and vitality for your plants with the help of air and water.

Minerals depend on the soil you have. Soil is essentially a bunch of small particles created by broken down rocks. Sandy Soil has large particles so it does not compact easily but it does provide great drainage. Silt is composed of medium particles. You have a good start if you have silt. Clay has much smaller particles that pack easily making it hard for water and air to move through the soil.

Organic Matter is made up of decaying grasses, leaves, and manure. The organic matter helps to enrich the soil and will provide food to the living elements. The living elements in soil are bugs like earth worms. These bugs move around in the soil to help air and water flow through.

We have clay soil in our yard. We can see it every time we get a good rain because the water sits on top of the ground.

Our backyard after a May rain storm. Grass is growing now… woo!

In order to improve our clay soil for the garden beds, we tilled up the existing clay soil and added some of compost we created over the last eight months using grass, left over vegetable scraps and some earth worms. We also added composted horse manure that Adam got from local horse barn. Our goal was to loosen the clay soil so that water and air could penetrate the dirt. As well as the roots of our vegetables.

Any kind of soil you have, be it sandy, silt or clay, compost is key.

We added compost that we purchased at a garden store last summer and this summer our big focus with the new garden beds was the composted horse manure. We will have to add compost to our garden beds every year for at least the next decade (not an exaggeration) to combat the hard, clay soil.

You can make your own compost, but can also find it at garden or home improvement stores.

In addition to the vegetables in the garden beds, I also have herbs growing in pots on the patio. I like having my herbs closer to the kitchen. I used potting soil for the herb’s pots.

Potting soil isn’t actually soil; its main ingredients are peat moss, composted materials, and perlite. Potting soils from a home improvement store or nursery are typically sterilized to prevent the growth of weeds and diseases. It also is designed to hold the right amount of moisture and let excess drain easily.

If you are growing plants in containers be sure to use either soil that you created using dirt and compost or potting soil. Garden soil and topsoil are often confused to be good for container gardening but in reality they are intended to be mixed with actual dirt. If they are used in a container they may retain too much moisture and rot the roots of your plants.

With all your hands on work and attention to create good dirt, your plants will be on the fast track to stardom.